Buoyant belt



R. WATTS BUOYANT BELT.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.I6,1919.

1,341,529, Patented May 25, 1920,

m W n M y H H I R. M. WATTS.

BUOYANT BELT.

APPLICATION FILED m1. I6, 1919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Bub ertMIWai-is 1 Ultl'lhll PATENT Q FFMIE.

ROBERT MILTON "WATTS, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

BUOYANT BELT.

raansaa Application filed January 16, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Bonnier M. lVl-i'r'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoyant Belts, of which the following is a specifica' tion.

This invention relates to a buoyant belt particularly designed for use by swimmers or persons first learning to swim, and an object of the invention is to provide a belt composed of a plurality of sections made up of buoyant material and adjustably connected by a strap adapted to clamp them about the body of the wearer, preferably at his waist, or directly thereabove; and one wherein the sections are relatively thin, being composed of highly buoyant material, so as to support a relatively great weight and which sections are further curved to conform to the curvature of the body, for

ant belt in operative position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the buoyant belt in a collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the buoyant sections of the belt.

Fig. 4- is a transverse section through one of the buoyant sections of the belt, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the belt in a collapsed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates an improved buoyant belt as an entirety which is composed of a plurality of buoyant sections 2. Any desired number of the sections 2 may be employed in the belt structure depending upon the weight and size of the person wearing the belt. Each of the sections 2 will support a predetermined weight in the water and this fact being known, the proper number of sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1220.

Serial No. 271,399.

tions may be assembled to properly support the weight of the person wearing the belt.

These sections 2 are made up of a fabric covering 3, preferably oil cloth or analogous material and in forming the sections, the coated or impregnated surface of the fabric is positioned inwardly. The fabric covering 3 is stuffed with fiber indicated at 4;, such as kapok or the fiber from ordinary millo weed pods, both of which are known to be highly buoyant, especially when in the compact form. The sections 2 are pressed or formed in a suitable press or form structure, imparting a longitudinal curvature thereto and a slight transverse curvature, so as to cause the sections to snugly lit the body of the wearer. As will be seen in Fig. 4; of the drawings, the inner surfaces of the sections 2 are practically straight while the outer surfaces bulge. lVhen the section is in its compressed form in the mold (not shown) used for properly shaping, it is stitched as shown at 5 and the stitches radiate from the center of the longitudinal arc of the section as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to main tain the section in its proper spaced rela tion. The cord with which the stitching is made is first knotted on one end as shown at 6 and passed through the section, and downwardly along the inner surface thereof for a short distance, being again passed through the section, this manner of stitches being followed out throughout the entire width of the section 2 after which it is returned, the portions of the cord which pass through the section being crossed as shown at 7 in Fig. 4:, and these crossed portions extend radially from the axis of center of the longitudinal curvature of the sections 2 as above specified, thereby securely holding the fiber 4 in its compressed stage as well as maintaining the section 2 in its proper shape. Loops 8 are attached to the stitching at each end of the sections 2 on their outer surfaces and a strap 9 is passed through these loops for connecting the various sections 2. The strap 9 has an ordinary buckle 10 on one end which is adapted to receive the free or inserting end of the strap to hold the buoyant belt tightly about the body of the wearer. By using kapok or the fiber of milkweed, the sections 2 may be made relatively small and still provide sufficient buoyancy to support the weight of an ordinary person, thus enabling the buoyant the section next thereabove, as shown in Fig.

2 of the drawings and when the sections 2 are thus placed, the strap 9 which is preferably formed of fabric is twisted as shown at 12 to allow the sections 2 to snugly fit one another.

The folded or nested sections are then coni nected bypassing the free end of the strap 9 through the buckle 10 as shown in Fig. 2.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, but;

I claim:

1. In a buoyant belt, the combination, of a plurality of buoyant sections each comprising a casing of water-proof fabric, buoyant material packed within said casings, stitching extending through said casings and buoyant material to maintain the casings in a body fitting condition, and a flexible strap connecting said sections.

2. In a buoyant belt, the combination, of a plurality of buoyant sections, each comprising a fabric casing, buoyant material within said casing, said casing being curved longitudinally to fit a wearers body, stitching extending through said casing and buoyant material in transverse rows radially of the axis of the arc of the said sections, the inner surfaces of said sections being substantially straight and the outer surfaces of the sections bulging outwardly toward the longitudinal center of the sections.

3. In a buoyant belt, the combination, of a plurality of buoyant sections, each comprising a fabric casing, buoyant material within said casing, said casing being curved longitudinally to fit a wearers body, stitching extending through said casing and buoyant material in transverse rows radially of the axis of the arc of the said sections, the inner surfaces of said sections being substantially straight and the outer surfaces of the sections bulging outwardly toward the longitudinal center of the sections, loops attached to the center of the endmost transverse rows of stitching ofthese sections and a flexible strap passing through said loops for connecting said sections.

4. In a buoyant belt, the combination, of a plurality of buoyant arcuate sections scribed on the same are arranged to be placed one upon the other when the belt is in collapsed position, and a flexible strap slidably carried by the sections, permitting the sections to be adjusted in relation to each other when the same is in its inoperative and operative positions.

ROBERT MILTON WATTS. 

